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WEST PALM BEACH — One city police officer resigned and two more were placed on administrative leave after a dashboard camera captured images of them punching and kicking a handcuffed man in the face.

On May 26, Officer Louis Schwartz had pulled a car over outside a CVS pharmacy at 6800 South Dixie Highway when a pharmacy clerk told him a man in a black ski mask looked like he was about to rob the store.

As Schwartz walked in, the man, later identified as Pablo Gilberto Valenzuela, 42, of West Palm Beach, ran out through an emergency exit, turning to spray Schwartz with pepper spray as the officer gave chase, according to police reports.

A video recording captured what happened next:

Schwartz drew his gun and, ordering Valenzuela to the ground, approached as Officer Kurt Graham, who had heard Schwartz's calls for help over the radio, closed in on the prone man. Graham put a knee into Valenzuela's back and handcuffed him.

The video then showed Graham punch and kick Valenzuela in the face. Schwartz approached and also kicked Valenzuela in the face.

Later, as Officer Jason Zangara hoisted a bloodied Valenzuela to his feet, the video showed Valenzuela lurching away from Zangara's grasp. Zangara whirled on the handcuffed man and punched him several times in the face, until the man collapsed on the pavement, the video showed.

Officers hauled him up again and led him out of the frame.

Valenzuela was held at the Palm Beach County Jail on charges of robbery, assault and battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest.

Well, a cynic might be reminded of Kurt Russell's lines as a Police Chief in Tequila Sunrise:

Nick Frescia: Generally I recommend my men stay away from vodka, and stick with scotch and bourbon.
Jo Ann: Why is that?
Nick Frescia: So the brass will know they're drunk and not stupid.

An idealist might see this as a growing trend of infringement of our civil liberties by police forces that are more and more out of control.

A realist might recognize that this is and has been the norm for cops in this country and the growing number of incidents is a function of technology that catches and publicizes these incidents. The same technology, btw, that is responsible for enabling the government to expand their infringement of our civil liberties.

Originally Posted by Cold Warrior
YEAH! Too bad they didn't kill the MF and save the state the cost of the trial

.
You might be right:)

Yeah, what a good solution. Just think of all the benefits if it were institutionalized across the US that the police would immediately execute all suspects arrested for, say, felonies (perhaps, if we want to be cautious, only a certain class of felonies and above). We would significantly reduce the cost of our prison and court systems; we would need far fewer lawyers (always a good thing); perhaps we would even reduce the crime rate. No downside that I can see.

Yeah, what a good solution. Just think of all the benefits if it were institutionalized across the US that the police would immediately execute all suspects arrested for, say, felonies (perhaps, if we want to be cautious, only a certain class of felonies and above). We would significantly reduce the cost of our prison and court systems; we would need far fewer lawyers (always a good thing); perhaps we would even reduce the crime rate. No downside that I can see.

I am dee law!

I'm probably one of the few white people who thinks that the Detroit cop who beat Malice Green to death was guilty of second degree murder. Nevers, not Budzyn. Budzyn's biggest mistake was lying to cover for his partner.

Nevers beat that poor man after the man was unconcious and in handcuffs. The EMS guys watched, because the police wouldn't let them near until Nevers was done beating the poor crackhead.

One of the things a lot of people don't realize about the case is that it is not just the neighborhood crackheads who were witnesses-EMS showed up quickly, and the EMS workers witnessed part of the beating.

But I also blame the Detroit Police Department for leaving Nevers out on the street when he was old and stressed out. They should have rewarded his service by giving him a cushy elementary school safey officer position, or a special type of assignment, instead of a regular patrol. My colleagues in CPS tell me that Budzyn and Nevers were great on removal orders/writs. They were good at getting the kids out in a calm manner, and at handling angry and doped-up parents.

I am suggesting the possibility that GotNews.com might be a hoax or troll site making @#$% up. I based that comment on the PJMedia article I linked, whose description and quotes from the killer's FB...